Critic Reviews

As a slice of video game history the Mortal Kombat series has undoubtedly made its mark. The fact that players can now own and scrap their way through the most complete version of the game ever released is surely a cause for celebration. Yeah, so it’s 2-D. So what? This is a solid, satisfying and even humorous beat-’emup that deserves a place in any PlayStation owner’s collection. Packed with more characters than even King of Fighters ’95, more haemoglobin than an episode of E.R. and more secret stuff than the contents of our Review Editor’s cupboard, Mortal Kombat Trilogy truly packs a powerful punch.

Trilogy has frequent load screens, but these are reasonably short. Four and eight-player tournament modes are included, although I can't see those getting much use. One glaring flaw is how Shang Tsung's "morphing" takes so long to load (over five seconds), making the game appear to locked-up. This Playstation game is one of the few that is not compatible with the PS2, causing it to lock up "for real". Trilogy ties up the series nicely, marking the sad demise of the 2D Mortal Kombat games.

While there's little doubt that the Mortal Kombat series is the best 2D fighting-game property ever, there is a bottom line. That is to say, Mortal Kombat Trilogy should be seen as a bonus for loyal fans before Mortal Kombat steps into the 3D arena (in next year's MK4). For these fans, Mortal Kombat Trilogy offers enough added elements to justify purchasing it. However, the Mortal Kombat series does have to move to the next level quickly, or it will become a fatality itself.

With two wildly different ways to play, Trilogy is the best of the N64 fighting game lot. That doesn't say much given the competition (especially given how few fighting games there are), but it does say something for how well these early Mortal Kombat entries hold up. Fans will do better here than on the Playstation too.

Sooner or later, it was bound to happen. Midway has taken the next step in a trend that Capcom started. They made an upgrade instead of a sequel. And even though the Mortal Kombat games have appeared on the flourishing 32-bit platforms, fans still haven't seen a perfect arcade port. Mortal Kombat Trilogy for the Nintendo 64 may not be arcade perfect, but it is the closest version to date.

One brand new element is the "aggressive" meter which feels like it was tacked on for the sake of adding something. Likewise the "Brutalities" are dumb. It looks like the bones of 50 people are raining down! Finally, Midway only lists one special move per character in the instruction manual, which is pretty lame. Mortal Kombat Trilogy serves up enough of spine ripping, skull-cracking goodness, but it isn't the end-all-be-all I was hoping for.

This game is definitely for you arcade-fighting junkies. I found this game to be pretty difficult, although I’m sure I can attribute a good portion of this to my own inadequacies while playing. There are some annoying tidbits, such as the 16-bit color message popping up when loading, waiting for the initial credits to finish before being able to play the game, and having to reset your options each time you load the game. When you get past the initial annoyances and get your options set up, this game will have wonderful but tough arcade-style fighting action and is a must-have for Mortal Kombat fans.

A very well designed fighting game with tons of characters to choose from...each with their own special moves to learn and master. Outstanding graphics and sounds all add up to an enjoyable, violent fighting experience. Most of the load times can be seriously reduced by going to the option menu and turning off profile screens and all-morphing effects...If you have ever played a Mortal Kombat game and enjoyed it, believe me, the thrill is still there...if you like fighting games, get this one...if you enjoy a good video game challenge, pick it up...if you can't stand long load times though, you may want to search elsewhere...All in all a magnificent conclusion to a worthy heritage of fighting games.

All in all, Mortal Kombat Trilogy is a solid fighter with enough new options and secrets to keep even the most avid of fans busy. It may not be the most respected fighting game due to the lack of depth or innovation, but with the small number of quality fighters available on the Playstation, it does fill a nice void. Granted, if you have never liked Mortal Kombat, then this game won't change your views. But if you are a fan then you're sure to enjoy it.

Mortal Kombat Trilogy proves that the Nintendo 64 is merely mortal. While it surpasses the Playstation version in regard to load time, it still suffers a three or four second delay when loading a new character in multiplayer fighting. Ultimately, only Mortal Kombat addicts, who don't already own a PlayStation, will find this game worth picking up.

A huge game with very little innovation. Mortal Kombat Trilogy proves that a lot of selectable fighters don't make a better game. If you have to play a fighting game on your N64 -- now -- and you have no problem spending $79 bucks on a mediocre game, then go for it. If you are a hopeless Mortal Kombat fan and you don't own any 32-bit version of the game then you probably already picked up a copy anyway and you'll probably like it. Otherwise, I suggest waiting for Killer Instinct, Dual Heroes, Dark Rift and Mace. Recommendation: Only for die-hard MK fans (and only those without a PSX)

The problem herein lies with a gamer’s tastes. If you want a cheesy but challenging fighting game, exactly like you would find at a coin-op arcade, go for it. To me, MKT isn’t up to the avant-garde standards of today’s fighting games, especially the innovative and detailed 3D titles like Tekken or Virtua Fighter. 2-player action can be fun, but the thrills stem directly from laughter, not intense competition.

There are some nice things about Mortal Kombat Trilogy, though. Even though it probably doesn't matter which one you use in the long run, there is a wealth of characters to choose from. Also, there are some classic levels to be seen in this game, as well as some new ones. And in this respect, it does a good job of blending all three Mortal Kombat games together. But the fact of the matter is that this series has failed to evolve. The digitized fighters still animate badly, the backgrounds look the same as they always have, the AI is as cheap as ever and the lack of strategy is still persistent. So the bottom line is that if you like Mortal Kombat, you will get a kick out of Mortal Kombat Trilogy. But to those who value decent gameplay and strategy over a poorly animated and unbalanced gorefest, look elsewhere.

For the few who own the console, we here at Digital Press are sorry to inform you that the system has NO decent fighting games. Not even the most die-hard MK fans will like this one, or the most die hard Game.com fanatics (if there are any) for that matter. For a quarter, you may get a decent laugh out of it, but otherwise you'll be a better person if you never play this one.